Aftercare
Caring for gold
Gold asks very little. The four rules below are everything we do in the atelier, and everything a piece will ever need.
Once a month
The four-step routine
This is the routine we run before a piece ships, and before it comes back from repair. It is enough — gold needs nothing stronger.
- 1Warm water and one drop of mild soap — dish soap is fine, nothing with bleaching agents.
- 2A soft-bristle brush — an old baby toothbrush works — to work the soap into the links and settings.
- 3Rinse thoroughly in warm water. Soap residue is what makes gold look dull, so rinse longer than feels necessary.
- 4Dry with a soft cloth and buff gently. The shine comes back immediately.
What actually damages
What to avoid
Pool chlorine attacks the copper in the alloy — one swim is not fatal, a summer of laps will dull the surface and eventually pit it. Bleach, ammonia, abrasive polishes (toothpaste included) and household cleaners are all out. Ultraviolet steriliser boxes are unnecessary for metal, and their heat is not kind to settings.
And the gym: take rings off before training. A 750‰ alloy bends under a hard knock, and a stone set in prongs is one impact away from leaving. The bench at home is the right place for a ring during a session.
The tarnish myth
Gold does not tarnish
Gold is chemically inert. It does not react with air, water, or most of what touches it — a 24k coin from a century ago looks as it did the day it was struck.
When an 18k piece looks dull or dark, it is the copper and the silver in the alloy, reacting at the surface with sweat, soap and cosmetics. It is cosmetic, surface-deep, and removable: the four-step routine restores the shine.
Storage
Storage, separately
Keep pieces apart so they do not scratch each other. A fine chain dropped in a box with a hammered bangle will borrow the bangle's texture within a week.
Individual pouches or compartments, away from humidity — a silica sachet in the drawer helps — and somewhere you will actually see the piece. Jewellery that is hidden is jewellery that is not worn.
For life
The free repair service
Every Emily Rose piece is repaired for life, free: cleaning, polishing, tightening a shank, replacing a clasp. Write to the atelier and the piece travels back to Paris; we pay the return within the EU.
This is a promise, not an upsell. A piece that outlives trends is the entire point of making things in 18k gold.
Questions, answered
The short version
Can I shower wearing my gold?
Water alone is harmless. Soap residue is what dulls the shine. If you wear a piece daily, clean it once a month with the four steps.
Will the pool ruin my ring?
Chlorinated water attacks the copper in the alloy. One swim is not fatal; a summer of laps will dull and pit the surface. Rings off before the pool.
My chain turned dark — is it fake?
No. The alloy's copper and silver oxidized at the surface. Clean it with the four-step routine; if it stays dark, send it to the atelier — that is what the free repair service is for.
Do repairs really cost nothing?
Cleaning, polishing, tightening, clasp replacement — free, for life, on every piece. Return shipping to the atelier is on us within the EU.
A question about a specific piece
Write to the atelier
If a piece needs attention, the person who made it will look at it. Describe the issue in a line or two and we will tell you what it needs.